


In another world

by Comicsohwhyohwhy



Category: Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Oh Reed, Oh Tony, Tony Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-04
Updated: 2014-08-04
Packaged: 2018-02-11 19:41:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2080704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Comicsohwhyohwhy/pseuds/Comicsohwhyohwhy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reed tells Tony about Natasha Stark and Steve Rogers on Earth-3490. The timing isn't exactly great. Also, there's a planet to blow up. And why has Tony started crying?!</p>
            </blockquote>





	In another world

**Author's Note:**

  * For [laireshi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/laireshi/gifts).



> Soo, [Iloome](http://archiveofourown.org/users/iloome/pseuds/iloome) sent me a prompt (Reed tells Tony about Natasha Stark), and was also kind enough to beta <3!

“Cap knows. He remembered.“

Reed stared at Tony, and Tony looked back, eyes shining bright in the dim light of the corridor. So it had happened. Well, in a way, it was hardly unexpected. Reed had known the risk of being found out the moment they had decided to have Stephen wipe Steve’s mind.

That explained the state of Tony’s face and his erratic behaviour, then.

“I see. And then he…” Reed interrupted himself, suddenly grasping the ramifications Tony’s confession had. “Wait. What about the others?”

Tony half turned away from him. He raised a bandaged hand to his temple and started massaging. “ _Yes_. What _about_ the others…? My God, the full weight of the most powerful Avengers team ever assembled is getting ready to come crashing down on us.”

Tony had turned his back on Reed and took a deep breath. When he turned around to face him again, his eyes were shining suspiciously.

Reed didn’t quite know what to say. What were they supposed to do now? An incursion was imminent, they had to deal with it, or this would be the end. They could not let that happen… Yes, they had better focus on the incursion, and once that threat was averted, they could make further plans… The antimatter bombs were ready, but maybe ( _hopefully_ ) the Illuminati’s equivalent on the other planet had come up with an actual solution, instead of just a scientifically brilliant way of blowing up a planet…

Tony had turned away from him again, apparently staring out into the distance. Reed was lost in thought, hand at his chin, pondering their options. Suddenly, though, Reed heard a little sound, something like a muffled sob. He realised that Tony’s shoulders were shaking slightly.

Reed stared. Of course, this whole thing was probably even harder on Tony than on himself, considering that it would lead to him losing his team ( _the closest thing to a family Tony has ever had_ , Reed thought sadly). Reed had always known that Tony would be the breaking point, in the end, they had all known that. Tony was the one that Steve would want to take down, above all others, and he was the one over whom the Captain actually held power.

Tony had rested his elbows on the stone balustrade and buried his face in his hands, all the while still making those muffled sounds, obviously trying to contain his sorrow. Reed felt utterly helpless (Sue was right, he really was useless at dealing with emotional situations). He had a suspicion that he was being a very bad friend. Tony would be there for him, were their roles reversed, comforting him, Reed knew that.

Reed shook his head as if to chase away a fly and took a step towards Tony.

“Tony −”

Tony just averted his face. No, this wasn’t good enough. Reed extended his arm and put it around Tony’s shoulder. Tony flinched a little, obviously not having expected this. After a moment, though, he leaned into the touch, but still kept his face turned away from Reed.

“Hey, Tony, it’s going to be ok. We can deal with that incursion, and we’ll find a way to explain to Steve what –“

Tony laughed bitterly and looked up. His face was streaked with tears.

“Explain? Oh yes, that has always worked out so well for me and Steve as of late.”

“Well, it might take a while for him to calm down, but I am sure that…”

“A while? A while?! Do you remember what it took last time? Years, and a brain deletion, and Steve still brings all my failings up whenever we have even the slightest disagreement. Do you have any idea −” He interrupted himself, burying his face in his hands again, light tremors running through his whole body.

Tony was more agitated than Reed had seen him in a long time. Reed frantically tried to think of something he could say to make it better. He felt overwhelmed by the situation, Tony shaking apart under his hands. He needed Tony to be strong and collected ( _to blow up a planet_ ).

“Listen, you and Steve, you will work it out. You belong together.”

Tony looked up again, an incredulous little smile on his tear-streaked face. “What? Reed, have you been reading love stories and started quoting them out to people when you want to appear like an emotionally adept human being?”

Reed flinched a little, it was a rather low blow, but he was well aware of the fact that Tony was only lashing out because he was desperate. After all, it was Tony who stuck with him as a friend, even though he didn’t have to, being Tony Stark, a charming, sociable genius ( _unlike me_ ). Tony valued their friendship, he knew that.

“No, I mean, you know that I have seen countless other universes, and in so many of them you and Steve stick with each other. It is usually the universes where things go right, you know.”

Tony looked at him with wide eyes. “You have stalked me and Steve in parallel universes? Reed, that is kind of creepy.”

Reed raised his one free hand in defence.

“No, but I was curious how the Civil War played out in other universes. What could have happened had we handled things differently…”

Tony took another deep breath, apparently to steady himself. “And?”

“Well, there was this one universe where you and Steve got married…”

Tony turned towards him so quickly that Reed’s hand slipped off his shoulder and he almost lost his balance. “ _What?_ ”

“Yes, well, I forgot to mention, you are a woman in that universe. Or were. I hope it wasn’t hit by the incursions so far.”

Tony’s eyes were still as wide as before. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. Then he started laughing. Reed took a step back. There was a wild look in Tony’s eyes as he was almost doubling over with laughter.

“So… me and Steve… should get married. Problem solved. Isn’t that just… fantastic.”

He was still laughing, and after a few more seconds, he was wiping tears from his eyes. Reed wasn’t sure if they were actually tears from laughter or if Tony was still half-crying. He sounded almost hysterical.

“Tony, please, calm down…”

“Calm down? _Calm down?!_ What the fuck, Reed, why would you tell me −”

Tony took a shaking breath. And just as suddenly as he had begun laughing, he stopped, his face took on a pained expression, he screwed his eyes shut, raised his hands to the side of his head, as if to cover his ears, and slid to the floor. Reed just saw a black mop of hair as Tony pulled his legs towards himself, put his arms around his knees, and started crying again, all self-control lost.

 _Damn it. I thought this would cheer him up…_ Reed thought desperately. What had he done wrong? Why was this such a sensitive issue?

And as he stared at his friend, almost curled up into a ball, Reed suddenly realised something. Tony and Steve… Tony’s desperation at Steve’s death… Him abandoning himself to his despair after having heard that there was a version of him that was happily married to the Captain…

 _Oh_.

Something clicked in his mind. He really was an idiot.

Reed sighed, and bent down. He wrapped his arms around Tony and pulled him in. Tony went willingly and buried his head in Reed’s shoulder. Reed patted his back a bit awkwardly, murmuring “there, there”, but stopped himself immediately. _Don’t be an idiot, Reed, Tony isn’t one of your children._

It didn’t take very long until Tony took a shaking breath and made a visible effort to collect himself. He pushed a little at Reed’s arms, signaling that it was okay to let him go. Reed loosened his arms, relieved. He leaned back and looked at his friend, who was wiping his face with hands that were still shaking a little. _He really was an idiot._

“Listen, Tony, I’ll show you the footage I took in that universe, yes?”

There was a tiny smile on Tony’s face. “You took videos? Reed, you kinky bastard…”

He made to get up. And then, the alarm sounded. Reed jumped.

“Tony, we have to go, the incursion… Are you… okay?”

Tony gave him another little smile. “Yes, Reed, I am.” And he added, very quietly, “And I would love to see that footage.”

Reed nodded at him, returning his smile.

Maybe he wasn’t the most socially adept person. But he knew that showing Tony the universe in which he was happy with Steve would bring him some peace. Knowing that they hadn’t messed it up everywhere. Knowing that there might still be something to be salvaged of their relationship, even when things were as dire as they appeared to be now. Reed believed what he had said to Tony; in some strange way, Steve and Tony did belong together, and they’d better find a way to settle things, once the disaster ringing in their ears now was averted. _I’ll try and do my part_ , he thought.

He turned towards Tony once more, saw the determined look on his friend’s face, and they hurried off to deal with another end of the world.


End file.
